Captain Jack's Route 66 Adventure

Flying a San Francisco Bay Tour

2008-09-25T14:32:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time since I posted anything here, but a recent comment about the San Francisco Bay Tour inspired me.

I love flying SF Bay tours. It is one of the greatest ways to introduce non-flyers to general aviation. I've done them during the day and at night, in Cessnas as well as a Citabria taildragger where the passenger gets to experience stick and rudder aviation with amazing views out both sides.

There are a few different ways to fly the Bay Tour. I will describe the procedure when departing from my home field of Palo Alto (PA). After getting the ATIS, I call PAO ground and announce my intentions: "Palo Alto Ground, Cessna 96934 at Romeo 2-8 with Quebec for a Bay Tour." The usual response is taxi instruction and "code on request." Before departure, I am usually assigned a squawk code and cleared for a straight out departure.

As soon as I am airborne, I get a hand-off to San Carlos (SQL) on 119.0. SQL clears me through their Class Delta with instructions to stay west of the Bayshore (US101) above 1400 feet (don't go too high, you are under the Bravo). SQL will hand you off to SFO Tower on 120.5. The Bravo starts right past the Bay Meadows raceway, a race track at the intersection of 101 and 92 just north of SQL. DO NOT ENTER THE BRAVO until cleared. After you report in with SFO, they will eventually clear you through the Bravo, again to the west of the Bayshore and usually at 1500 or so.

If you follow the normal clearance, you will divert slightly to the west, either over the top of Mount San Bruno (with lots of radio towers) or to the left of that. However, if you request a midfield crossing, you will get it 5 times out of 10. Then you can fly right over SFO and rejoin the 101 just to the north. You will exit the Bravo around Twin Peaks and be handed off to Norcal. Keep your eyes and ears sharp. I like to fly straight up through the city, crossing out to the Bay by the marina. Then I make a right 270 around Alcatraz and head straight between the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge. At the bridge, I make a 180 or a 270, depending on how I plan to return. If the coast is clear of clouds, I like to fly straight down to Half Moon Bay (HAF) and then turn inland to return to the field. If you fly this route, announce to Norcal that you are departing for HAF. They will usually terminate radar services right then. You need to look closely at the SF Terminal Area chart to understand the floor of the Bravo along the coast. It is down to 1500 at one point.

If the coast is cloudy, the alternate return is to fly across the Bay to Oakland and then south. You must remain north of the Bay Bridge. You will get several hand-offs, including Oakland (OAK). It's a bit tricky, they will ask you to cross the Oakland Coliseum at 2000 and then direct you to cross the 29 numbers at 1500 before sending you off to the south. There is also a handoff from one tower frequency to another as you cross the field. Of course, you can also request another Bravo transition and just fly back the way you came.

If you are arriving by air instead of departing PAO or SQL, you need to contact Norcal on an appropriate frequency and request a bay tour. My understanding is that you may be given a higher altitude in that case.

If you are local to the area, I encourage you to find a pilot who is a bay tour veteran the first time you go. The mission is well within the skills of a sharp VFR pilot, but there is a lot of traffic and ATC activity. Some people are just more comfortable with a second set of eyes and ears on board.

Have fun!

PIREP: Pilot Error

2007-08-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Looking back on my performance during my flights over 13 days, I decided it would be good to summarize some of the errors I made. They say you learn from your mistakes, but that's not quite true. I believe you can learn from your mistakes if you examine them. Hopefully, others can learn from my mistakes as well.

Have the charts and info you need at hand
I went to some trouble and expense to figure out what aviation publications I would need for this trip. In all, I spent close to $200 on sectional charts, Airport/Facility Directories, Instrument Approach Procedures and Low-Altitude Planning Charts for all the places I planned to fly. There were so many that I repurposed an old flight bag just for charts and publications. It weighed 18 pounds, which gave me an idea what airline pilots drag around in those big leather totes.

On the first day of the trip, after my brief stop in Santa Monica, I flew the first leg of Route 66. It was also the first time I flew out of state. As I cruised across the California desert and visualized my landing in Bullhead, AZ, I suddenly visualized the A/FD with the airport information in the 18 pound bag in the baggage compartment. If you are a pilot, you know the old mantra about the three things of no use to a pilot. Well, in addition to fuel in the truck, runway behind you, and sky above, I propose to add charts in the baggage compartment. The consequences were minor, since I had multiple other sources of information, from the sectional chart to the airport info in my Garmin 396. However, the A/FD is the complete and authoritative reference.

My pre-engine-start checklist includes "charts available," and I am usually very tood about it. However, I wasn't used to needing different charts every day. After this experience, I made a mental note to update my chart set each morning. I have to admit that once or twice more, due to plans changing during the day, I ended up needing a chart not in hand. Luckily, I had Lisa along later in the trip and she was able on one occasion to scramble over the seat and help me out.

Electrical equipment off before starting engine
This one was a blatant checklist failure on my part. It is clearly listed in the before starting engine checklist, which is one of the lists I use most faithfully. However, on starting one time later in the trip, the low voltage warning light came on. I looked down and saw that all the aircraft lighting was on from my pre-flight check. This puts undue strain on the charging system, but more importantly it highlights the importance of really looking at the items on the checklist, not just reciting them like a prayer of some kind.

Taking off from Evanston, WY (EVW)
The field elevation at EVW is 7130. I have to check but it was one of the highest, possibly the highest airport I visited. The runway is a good long 7300 feet and I knew that even at that elevation 96934 had more than adequate takeoff performance. When departing, I took the runway and applied full power. As always, I checked the instruments to insure I had good engine power. The prop was turning 2400 RPM as required and the MP was about 23 inches--lower than the 29 you look for at sea level but to be expected at this elevation. As I watched the airspeed indicator, it seemed to be coming up slowly. At sea level, it might have set off a mental warning to abort the takeoff, but I attributed it to the reduced power at 7000 feet combined with the reduced bite of the prop in the thin air.

I hadn't given myself an abort point but I was just starting to consider an abort when the plane decided it was ready to fly. The instant it cleared the ground, it leapt forward, as if it had been released from a mysterious pull. It took me a few moments to puzzle out that I was the mysterious pull. My feet had been resting on the brake pedals and surely riding the brakes. Luckily they don't have any affect once off the ground.

I learned very early in my pilot training to keep heels on the floor during takeoff exactly to prevent this. To my recollection I never, ever had a problem with it. During your takeoff, you want all the acceleration you can get, so the last thing you would ever want to do would be to accidentally ride the brakes.

Two lessons from this experience: choose an abort point, especially at an unfamiliar airport; and keep those heels on the floor.

Evanston again
Two goofs on one flight. A sure sign it was time for a break.

After taking off from Evanston, I had a good flight over to Salt Lake City. As I popped out of the canyon at the edge of the SLC Class Bravo, I was calling up SLC tower for assistance in the transition. After giving all the information for my request correctly, they came back and asked me to say again my position. According the controller, my transponder wasn't showing up on their radar. A quick look down at the transponder and I saw that it was still in standby mode. I quickly flipped it to the correct setting and all was fine.

Like most pilots, I have a "taking the runway" mnemonic. Mine is "lights," (landing lights and strobes on), "camera," (transponder to Altitude mode), "action." (mixture rich, prop full forward). I must have missed it this time.

Three in one day
Same flight, once last time.

My flight from Evanston terminated in a fuel stop at Lovelock, NV (LOL). It was the longest flight segment of the trip, possibly my life. Everything went quite smoothly. I was up at 10500, cruising along with my supplemental O2. As I approached LOL from the north, I got the weather and checked the runway info. Winds were variable at 5 and the runway was 1/19, more or less due north/south, with left traffic. I visualized entering the 45 for left traffic from the north, and then completing a normal pattern. Five miles out I made the required radio call on the airport frequency. I announced my intention to enter the left 45 for runway 19. As I arrived at the airport I announced I was on the left 45 for runway 19. Then I looked over at the runway threshold to my left. It was marked 19, when it "should" have been Runway 1. Oops. I did a quick mental calculation and realized I had reversed the directions in my head. I announced a corrected location as I entered the left downwind for Runway 1.

That was the last error of the trip, at least among those I recall. I'm certainly not happy about any of them, but I discovered them all in time and never allowed a chain of errors to build.

In my next posts, I will list cool things I did and saw, along with some more statistics as I have time to assemble them. My intention is to keep this blog alive as a journal of my flying experience, for as long as I get visitors. I have had a few offline messages from readers. I hope some of you will post your comments for others to read as well.

I will see you in the air.

Day 17 Part Two: Home Sweet Home

2007-08-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Evanston, WY (EVW) to Palo Alto, CA (PAO)
804 statute miles (699 nm)
time enroute: 6:15 (excludes time during fuel stop)

I made it. I was on the road for 17 days and I flew on 13 of them, including the short discovery flight with my niece and nephew in Carbondale. I flew 5776 miles (5018 nm) and logged 48.1 hours of piloting. I increased my total pilot hours by over 10% on this one trip.

I flew in 16 states, visiting four (Oklahoma, Kansas, Mississippi and Nebraska) for the first time. I landed in all but one (Tennessee). I logged landings at 21 different airports, 19 for the first time. I am 10 landings short of 1000 and 20 hours short of 500. It's fun compiling the facts and statistics and I will do more of that in an upcoming post. Today I just want to journal the experience of the longest day of flying I have ever done and capture my immediate reflections upon completing my trip.

I awoke at 5:00 am and after briefly trying to get a little extra sleep before a long day, I gave up and arose. I had a breakfast of leftover peanut butter, cheese and crackers that saved me a long trip up the hill to what would surely have been a dismal meal. I was at the front desk to check out just before 7:00. I was a little worried about getting to the airport, since to the best of my knowledge there is just one cab in Evanston. My fears were warranted, I learned upon asking that the cab was off on a trip to someplace more than an hour away. Putting on my most desparate and needy face, I was able to get one of the hotel staffers to drive me to the airport, a favor I repaid by offering about twice what the cabfare would have been.

At the airport, which had been pretty quiet the day before, there was a relative bustle of activity. There was a family in a Piper just pulling away from the ramp as I walked in, and a charming little Lakes amphibian parked next to 96934.

I initiated a conversation with the pilot. Her name was Carol and it turns out she is based in Palo Alto (PAO) and Pine Mountain Lake (E45). Linda Monahan, my insrument ground instructor commuted from E45 to PAO, so I asked Carol if she knew her. It turns out they are friends. The world of flying is still small enough that these meetings are still possible.

Carol was heading eastward, eventually going all the way to Maine. I asked how her trip in was the day before. She flew over Salt Lake City and arrived in Evanston at around 3:30, less than an hour after I gave up for the day. It's disappointing to think that if I had hung around a little longer, I would have had a reassuring pilot's report and felt comfortable making the trip over. Still, that's life. There will always be another day to fly.

Ready to taxi over to the self-serve fuel stand, I started up the plane and gave it some power. With enough power to easily pull out, it was glued to the ground. I had the depressing thought that I had made the classic error of trying to taxi with the tail still tied down, in front of an audience. Shutting down the engine, I climbed out and evaluated the situation. Tiedowns were all removed. Closer inspection revealed that all three wheels were in fairly deep ruts. I leaned into a strut and rocked the plane back and forth mightily. Eventually, I had it out of the ruts and ready to go. Still time for embarressing error later in the day.

I taxied out for takeoff at 8:50, with N5LY right behind. Because of the altitude and high temperatures, Evanston has a 7300 foot runway. I pulled out and gave the engine full power. Engine RPM was good and manifold pressure was in the low 20s, which seemed normal for the conditions. However, the plane was surprisingly slow to accelerate, even compared to the other high density altitude takeoffs on the trip. It finally broke ground and immediately jumped with what felt like extra power. After a moment of wonder, I realized my feet were positioned so that they were riding the brakes. It was just enough to slow the plane while on the ground, not enough to trigger my reaction under the conditions.

Once in the air, things got better and I was gaining altitude nicely as I followed I-80 toward the path through the mountains. With good weather, the flying was pretty relaxing as I zoomed toward Salt Lake City.

When you arrive at SLC from the east along I-80, you get a big surprise. The road passes through a canyon and you are spit out over the city spread thousands of feet below. You have to act fast to stay out of the Class Bravo airspace of SLC International Airport. A quick turn to the left and a rapid descent got me started, and an excellent approach controller offered vectors to simplify navigation around the south end of the airspace. Looking at my GPS track, I came within a mile of my friend Mark's house. It was frustrating to be so close, yet so far away. With most of the day still ahead, I pressed on to the west. After the city, I-80 runs along the south end of Great Salt Lake and then out into the Bonneville Salt Flats. This part of the trip became quite routine. Flying at 10500, I leaned out the engine, tweaked my oxygen flow, and listened to mediocre comedy on XM radio. The weather ranged from clear to high clouds, but the visibility was limited to about 20 miles for a while. There wasn't any noticeable obscuration, but the world gradually faded out in the distance. Around Elko, NV, there was an area of rain on my route. I made a slight course deviation and caught just a minute or two of it as I passed around.

I made Lovelock (LOL) right around 11:00, as planned. This was my other off-moment of the day. Arriving from the north, I planned a downwind arrival based on light variable winds. I announced I was entering the pattern for left traffic on runway 19er at Lovelock. Then as I transitioned from the 45 to to the downwind, I saw that the 19 marking was on the wrong end of the runway. Oops! I had the sight picture reversed in my head. Re-announcing that I was on left downwind for RWY 1, I landed and taxied into the ramp.

Lovelock is unattended, but there is a small office with a restroom. The airport is guarded by an old MIG-15. I don't know if it flew in, but it doesn't look like it will fly out. Avgas at Lovelock is $3.65/gal, so I filled to the tippy tops of the tanks. After this, 96934 and I were ready to head home.

I was a little anxious about heading across the Cascades. Mountain turbulence is at its worst on summer afternoons and climb performance is limited at the high density altitudes. I didn't expect any danger, but I wasn't happy about the possibility of a rough and challenging flight.

As it turns out, it was not too bad. From the time I left Lovelock, light turbulence was pretty steady and I spent a lot of time climbing back up to altitude as downdrafts sucked it out of me, but it was never really a threat. I crossed Reno climbing to to 10500 and bumped my way over to Truckee and then Blue Canyon. After that, the mountains started falling away and within 15 minutes I was cruising again.

The last hour of flight was relaxing and pleasant, a good end to what had come before.

Arriving back in the Bay Area, I was quickly plunged into the typical Saturday afternoon traffice jam at Palo Alto Airport. The tower asked for a 360 out over the bay and then told me to extend my downwind to make room for a departing aircraft. Then, as soon as I was on final, he asked me if I could make S-turns for extra time. I made several but as I lined up on short final, the previous aircraft was just exiting the runway and departing traffic was in position. Despite the tower's best effort, I called a go-around. The second time around was fine. I landed and taxied back to my tie-down at L-28.

To punctuate my return, we had pre-existing plans to go up to SF for the evening. We had a fantastic dinner at Fresca, featuring Nouveau Peruvian cuisine, and then saw Swell Season at the Noe Valley Ministry, in a room of about 200 people. I was pretty exhausted when I made it home at midnight, after a 20 hour day.

The trip is over now, but I have a few thoughts that I plan to share in follow-up posts in the coming days. I hope to have some of you along. For those signing off, thank you for staying with me on this little adventure.

Day 17 Part One: Setting Off

2007-08-04T06:01:00.000-07:00

I'm ready to leave the hotel for the airport. If plumbing is an omen, the shower here was a good sign. In the face of low expectations, it had a good solid spray, steady temperature, was roomy and well-lit. Equally important, the weather for the route looks good. If I am in the air by 8:00, I will make my fuel stop at Lovelock, NV (LOL) by around 10:30 or 11:00 (courtesy of a one-hour time change). From there, I should be home by around 3:00 PM.

For most of this trip I felt like I could wander indefinitely, but now that I know I am heading home, I really want to get there soon. Family is waiting, along with my own bed and a few meals of my own choosing.

Day 16 Part Two: Time To Go Home

2007-08-03T20:58:00.000-07:00


Cheyenne, WY (CYS) to Evanston, WY (EVW)
354 statute miles (308 nm)
time enroute: 2:59

Headwinds of 20 to 30 knots were the first of today's challenges. It took three hours to go just over 300 nm. At the field in Cheyenne this morning, I met a pilot on his way home from Oshkosh in a Cessna Cardinal. He was headed to San Carlos, just up the road from Palo Alto. it turns out that we have a mutual acquaintance. His partner in a previous plane is an instructor at West Valley Flying Club that I met during the Board elections this year. A Cardinal is typically a bit slower than a Skylane, so I figure he was well behind me by Evanston. There was no sign of him here, so I presume he either stopped earlier or was able to keep going when I was grounded. I'm curious to learn how he made out.

When grounded at Evanston, I was only about 40 minutes short of my intended destination. It was frustrating being so close to my destination and unable to reach it. The airport at Evanston was a good place to be stuck. The runway is nice and long. There is a pilot's lounge with an aviation whether terminal, comfortable chairs and satellite TV. All that was missing was a place within range to grab something better than a candy bar. I spent a fair amount of time chatting with Kevin, a commercial helicopter pilot getting his After three hours and change watching the radar display at the Evanston airport, I thought I saw a window. When I went outside, things looked pretty clear in the vicinity of the airport. However, the wind had picked up to about 18 kts and as I looked toward Salt Lake City it wasn't as great as I imagined it should be. I decided that I was in danger of contracting get-there-itis and declared myself grounded for the day.

I managed to get a room at the Howard Johnsons and caught a cab down here. This may be the bleakest accommodation of the trip. After spending $69 for a large, charming room at the Plains Hotel in Cheyenne, it is a big disappointment to spend the same for a gloomy, semi-basement room in a bleak hotel with crappy service. All of the employees here seem inconvenienced by the presence of guests. I expect that by treating us this way, the inconvenience will be reduced over time.

After checking in, I discovered that the free internet wasn't working. After a totally pointless call to the front desk to see if it could be fixed, I decided to get out for a walk. I wandered by the laundry room, which gave me the idea of using this downtime to run a load. The sign said that soap was available at the front desk. However, they didn't have any. The desk clerk reluctantly disclosed that there were a few convenience stores up the street and even a grocery store past that. With a new sense of purpose, I headed off up the hill.

Walking uphill, I noticed that the weather was much better. I could see for miles to the west and the clouds were all high and docile looking. Given the gloomy circumstances at the hotel, I was tempted to pack up my stuff and head back to the airport. However, the effort just seemed too much and I felt I should honor my earlier decision.

It seems that the HoJos is a half-mile down the road from the rest of Evanston. After trudging up the hill, I was greeted by an oasis of more junky motels and restaurants. I wandered through a few blocks and it started thinning out without sign of a grocery store. I can only assume that it would require a car or much more time to get there. Lowering my expectations, I stopped in a truck-stop food-mart and loaded up on snack food. I had no lunch today, the restaurant at the hotel was kind of scary looking and on top of that it isn't open for breakfast on Fridays and Saturdays. I couldn't really bear the thought of going back up the hill for a meal.

Walking back to the hotel, I saw an area of heavy rain in the hills, which sort of reassured me that I belonged on the ground.

Back at the room, I had a small dose of crackers and peanut butter, washed down with Clamato juice. After a short semi-nap, I roused myself and wandered down to the restaurant. My trepidations proved justified. The dinner selections were all smoked ribs or meat. I opted for the chicken. As far as I could tell, the only smoke that chicken ever saw would have been from something burning in the kitchen. It was also the scrawniest chicken I've ever seen. It must have died on a death march from wherever it was raised to the restaurant here in Evanston.

I don't know whether this place is grimmer than others I have been or if it is just that I am ready to be home. Either way, I expect to be sleeping in my own bed tomorrow. The only casualty outside of my mood was my intended visit with my friend Mark in Salt Lake City.

And look: the internet actually started working.

Day 16 Part One: Watching Weather in Evanston, WY

2007-08-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

I got off to my earliest start of the trip today. I was in the air by around 8:00 for the trip over to Salt Lake City. I climbed up to 10500 and headed west. My route of flight was along I-80. For the first half of the flight there were clouds above and occasionally below. As I passed Rock Springs, the weather began to detoriate and I was soon cruising at 8500 feet, which is only 1500 to 2000 feet above I-80. Then, as I passed Evanston, right on the Utah state line, I hit some solid precipitation. Visibility declined significantly and I decided to set down here. That was about two hours ago. Conditions here are much better now, but the radar map shows some activity in the Salt Lake City area. I'm standing by to see if it improves.

I'm hoping to make it to SLC to meet up with a friend. If the weather doesn't cooperate, I guess I will be spending the night here in Evanston and then heading home to Palo Alto in the morning.

Day 15 Part Two: Cattle Barons and Oil Tycoons

2007-08-02T19:03:00.000-07:00


Kansas City, MO (MCI) to Cheyenne, WY (CYS)
591 statute miles (513 nm)
time enroute: 4:50 (includes 28 minute fuel stop in Sidney, NE)

The Executive Beechcraft team came through, proving Bernoulli's Law--the vacuum created by money being sucked out a bank account is what causes planes to fly. With contributions from Chris, Terry, Scott and Sunshine, I was airworthy by around 12:30.

I had a little bonus before I left. There was a Cessna Citation X jet parked on the ramp, so i wandered over to peak in the through the open door. A voice from inside invited me in. The jet belongs to a national hamburger chain and I had a nice chat with the pilot. It sure looks like the way to travel. Club seating for two groups of four. The cockpit makes my plane look like a Model T. Okay, a model T with some updates. I guess the good part is that I get to fly where and when I want. All the same, corporate pilot seems like a good life if it suits you.

I took off around 12:45. Once again, I got to experience being a guppy in a shark tank as I puttered around Kansas City International airport in my Cessna. I was assigned the longest runway, so I was probably almost a thousand feet above ground level by the time I passed the end. I was eager to try out my new portable oxygen supply and get familiar with it while I was in an area that I could get by without. I turned it on at around 8000 to give myself time to figure it all out and then climbed to 10500. I know from personal experience that I am affected at that altitude, but today was awesome. I have a little pulse oximeter that monitors blood oxygen saturation level. By keeping it in the happy range of around 90, I knew exactly what I was getting. Two week ago I had never heard of an oxygen bar, now I can have my own.

Flying high got me above the clouds and also had me going nice and fast with relatively low fuel consumption. I could easily have made Cheyenne non-stop, but I realized I needed to set foot in Nebraska to claim it for my life list. I found Sidney, NE, the last airport with fuel in the state and picked it as my stopping point. After fueling, it was less than an hour more to Cheyenne. You have to be on your toes, because the terrain is flat, but gradually gains elevation as you move west. Cheyenne is 2000 feet higher than Sidney.

I flew over to Cheyenne just under a broken cloud deck that ran up to about 3000 AGL. I was free of storms and precipitation, but my NEXRAD showed a big glob of light rain activity just northwest of the airport. I beat it in and got a ride to the hotel here.

The Plains Hotel is the most interesting hotel on the trip and probably the best value. The rooms are clean, well-appointed and roomy, all for $69/night. It has a great frontier feel.

I ate dinner downstairs in what I was told was the best steak place around. I had a very tasty slice of prime rib and a decent salad. After that I walked a couple of blocks to stretch my legs and had a mediocre ice cream from a local shop. As I walked, a gentle rain began. As of now, it seems to have let up.

I'm looking forward to a great night's sleep and then a short flight to Salt Lake City tomorrow morning. The only question is whether the weather will cooperate.

Over and out.

Day 15 Part One: That's Why They Have a Pilot's Lounge

2007-08-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

I just talked to Terry in the maintenance department downtown. They are expecting the new cable to arrive around 10:00. Early deliveries--maybe that's one of the advantages of having your business at the airport.

I now have the morning to rest and prepare for the next few days.

Day 14: Nothing a Mojito Won't Fix

2007-08-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

Carbondale, IL (MDH) to Kansas City International (MCI)
320 statute miles (278 nm)
time enroute: 2:32

It all sounded so simple. We got on the road by 8:00 and were at the airport by a little after 9:00. We had a medium-length flight over to Kansas City where Lisa and Sarah would board a Southwest sardine can back to California. I would then continue westward.

The flight over here was smooth and easy. This was my first landing at a Class Bravo, but it didn't seem much different than an arrival at a busy Class C like San Jose, Oakland, or Albuquerque. Besides, I've had experience with Class B transitions in San Francisco and had VFR flight under the Bravo on this trip in St. Louis and Chicago.

The ATIS advertised runways 19 left and right in use, and the approach controller told me I would be assigned one of those after I was handed off to tower. In fact, tower asked me if I would like runway 27 to save time. The wind was 4 kts from the south so it was an easy yes, since I was arriving from the east. It would also get me closer to my intended parking location.

I was advised to land long, partly because it would get me closer to my destination, and also to help out traffic that was waiting for me so he could depart on Runway 19L which crosses at around the midpoint of 27. I aimed for the intersection and still landed with at least 2500 feet to spare.

We taxied over to Executive Beechcraft, where everyone was super-helpful. I had decided to head downtown for Arthur Bryant's BBQ. It's a pilgrimage I've wanted to make ever since I first read Calvin Trillin's Tummy Trilogy back in the mid-80s. The folks at Executive Beechcraft suggested a rental car and arranged for one in just a few minutes.

I dropped Lisa and Sarah at their terminal and headed for town. For about the fourth time on this trip, I neglected to load street map data for my destination city in the GPS ahead of time. Luckily I had a Xeroxed map to point me in the right direction. Instinct and aroma got me the rest of the way.

From the street, the restaurant lived up to my expectations of appearance. Inside, the food scored on all fronts.

I love ribs, but one of the specialties at Arthur Bryant's is their burnt ends. These are trimming from the smoked beef brisket. I had no choice. I ordered the two-meat combo sandwich. Sandwich is used loosely here. There were two slices of white bread. The burnt ends oozed their juicy goodness on one slice, while the ribs rested neatly on the other. I've never had burnt ends before, but they were great. There may be better BBQ restaurants, but Arthur Bryant's is good enough for me. They've fed a slew of notable diners over the years, from presidents to movie stars. Now they've fed me. Oddly, they didn't ask to take my picture for the wall.

Nirvana achieved, I headed back to the airport to get going on my flight. I taxied out to the runway and started the run-up checks. My last checklist item is the carb heat (for non-flyers: carb heat is needed to prevent or remove ice which can form on the intake of the carburetor, leading to power loss during flight. It can occur even on warm days if the conditions are right.) I pulled the knob, which usually has about two inches of play. Four inches later, I knew something was wrong. So I got to call Kansas City tower and request a taxi back to the ramp. A 737 jet got to change taxiways to let me by.

There is no maintenance facility for teensie little Cessna's here at the International Airport. However, Executive Beechcraft had one of their mechanics stop by on his way home. He secured the heater box, so I might be able to fly down to their downtown facility in the morning. I'm still debating that vs. asking them to bring the replacement cable they have ordered up here so I don't have to fly. It might cost more in time and money, but it would be a better choice.

So that's why I'm staying at the Amerisuites in Kansas City and drinking mojitos (well, just one) at the Ruby Tuesday next door. Hopefully I will be on my way by mid-day tomorrow. We've been a day ahead of schedule since arriving in Chicago last week, so now I am back on the original schedule. I'm flying alone, so I can hopefully get in more hours each day. I still expect to be back in Palo Alto by Saturday, which was the plan.

Day 13: Sightseeing

2007-08-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

Carbondale, IL (MDH)
86 statute miles (75 nm)
time of flight: 58 minutes

One of my favorite things in flying is taking people for their first small plane ride. After a lazy morning, we made it from the lodge to my sister's house. My mission for the day was to take my nephew Ben and niece Hallie up for a flight. I had hoped to take our friends in Chicago and in Birmingham up, but weather and schedule both interfered. Luckily, nothing disturbed my plan today.

After getting some help from Hallie on the pre-flight, we departed the airport to the south. We almost immediately spotted the area where their house is located, which is just within the Class D airspace to the southeast. I had marked a couple of landmarks as waypoints on the Garmin 396, but the kids had no trouble finding the area of their house, since there is a very recognizable National Guard armory right nearby. Ben got a glimpse of the house, but there wasn't much to see because of shade. After circling once, I gave the controls to Ben. He helped fly us down to Giant City and back toward the airport. We landed, and the kids scrambled over the seat to change to places. With Hallie as first officer we headed out to the west to get a look at the mighty Mississippi River. Ben took this picture from the backseat--it's a view we don't get as pilots.

As the saying goes, any day you fly is a great day. Ben and Hallie enjoyed their flight and I enjoyed giving it.

We finished up with dinner at a local restaurant and then headed back to the lodge to get an early night's sleep so that we could get out at a decent hour the next morning.

Day 12: Friends to Family

2007-08-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

Birmingham, AL (BHM) to Carbondale, IL (MDH)
371 statute miles (322 nm)
time enroute: 3:57 (includes 40 minutes ground time for fuel stop in Ripley, MS)

After a brief but pleasant stay with our friends in Birmingham, we are headed for my sister's home in Carbondale, IL. This flight is literally a turning point. This is the first leg with a westerly component. After travelling eastward for eleven days, we are heading home. That means it's time to start working with even thousands on the altitude.

Generally good weather was the theme for the day. We set out for our stopping point, Ripley, MS. Along the way, we encountered clouds that began at around 4500 and continued upward. I decided to stay below since we weren't going that far, which might not have been the best course of action. As we flew, the ceiling came down to about 3000 feet; we were never in danger of being forced too low and we had lots of options if it got worse. We could land, turn back, or just get an instrument clearance and head up through the clouds. As it happens, we just stayed the course.

Sarah slept for the first half of the flight, then woke up feeling airsick. There was a fair bit of sloshing around in the unstable air under the cloud layer and this is always tough for her. She toughed it out to Ripley.

Mississippi is my third new state for this trip, bringing the life list up to 47. Nebraska is days away, and I'm dreaming of Alaska with an old friend in 2009. North Dakota is left. Anyhow, the airport in Ripley is not a rip-roaring place, but the airport building was cool and comfortable.

When we arrived, the office was open but nobody was around. While I was fueling the plane, two carloads of people arrived and went inside. It turns out they were Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. My first narcs. These guys were all ground-based. They have a pilot who flies around looking for marijuana fields, then they all jump in their cars and drive out to bring justice. I'm sure someone thinks this is a good use of tax dollars. I hope they sleep better at night knowing that our government is protecting foreign drug cartels by stomping out the cheap domestic competition.

Anyhow, today they were happy to sit and smoke the legal, local alternative while hoping they wouldn't have to go out in the heat to arrest anyone.

Sarah wasn't too happy to get back in the plane after the morning flight. I gave her a second Bonine and she climbed aboard. Whether it was the Bonine or the fact that the sky cleared up and our flight up to Carbondale at 6500 was smooth, she did fine.

Carbondale actually has a pretty substantial airport. With three runways and a tower, it is very well equipped. It is also the base for the Southern Illinois University Aviation Program, but there wasn't much going on during the summer.

My sister Sue met us at the airport. After a visit to her home, the first time we have seen it, we all drove down to our accommodations at the
Giant City Lodge at Giant City State Park. The park is named for its unusual rock formations and the entire area is quite beautiful. The lodge was built by the Civilian Conversation Corps during FDR's New Deal and it is a real landmark.

The lodge features regional cooking with a southern accent. Most of the dishes were average to good, but their fried green tomatoes were excellent, as was the blackberry cobbler. The theme was large portions and modest prices as an alternative to great service or quality. Overall, I think it was nice and in tune with the setting.

We missed lunch today but made up for it at dinner. After dinner, my sister and her kids headed back to Carbondale. We collapsed and slept in.

Day 11: The Simpsons

2007-08-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

After arriving in Birmingham on Saturday evening, we had a cheerful reunion with Sarah, our 12-year-old. She did a great job as mother's helper to Henry and Matthew, the three and one year old children of our friends Keith and Karen.

This morning we met Keith and Henry for lunch at Chez Lulu. Shameless plug--Chez Lulu is run by a friend of Karen's. We visited it on our previous visit to Birmingham and were happy to go back and sample the Sunday brunch.

After brunch, Henry went home for his nap, and we did what any American family should do when they need to bond--we saw The Simpsons movie. If you like the Simpsons, you will like the movie. If you don't like the Simpsons, why not?

For dinner, we returned to Jim 'N Nick's BBQ. We arrived after 8:00 on a Sunday night, so a lot of our choices had run out, but what we got was good. I can never decide between ribs and meat, so I had a combo platter with beef brisket and baby back ribs. The brisket was awesome, the ribs a little too salty to achieve nirvana. Lisa's smoked turkey was also quite good. Sarah had the vegetarian option, four sides of her choice. She is not a vegetarian, but who can resist a meal of side orders? Belly's full, we retired for the night.

Day 10: Reunion

2007-07-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

Chicago, IL (PWK) to Birmingham, AL (BHM)
654 statute miles (568 nm)
time enroute: 6:33 (including a 65 minute food and fuel stop)

Our plan for this morning was to take our hosts for a scenic lakeshore flight and then depart for Birmingham to pick up our daughter from the family where she has been a mother's helper this past week. At five-plus hours, it would be the longest day of traveling so far in the trip, and we were concerned about the possibility of thunderstorms later in the day. As it turned out, the scenic flight was not to be.

When we left for the airport around 10:00, there was an overcast at 1000 feet. Our new plan started with filing IFR to get out of Chicago. At this point, I discovered a minor glitch in my pre-trip planning. In acquiring the 17 pounds (yes, I weighed them) of charts and instrument procedures I might need on the trip, I overlooked Indiana. It turns out that the direct route from Chicago to Birmingham flies right down the length of the state. I had Kentucky covered, so I could have filed to somewhere south of Indiana, but I took the more cautious approach and chose to fly slightly to the west, staying in Illinois. I picked Fairchild, IL as a destination, with the idea of either canceling IFR once the weather cleared or getting a clearance to a further destination while enroute.

Flying IFR out of Chicago meant waiting while they fit us in to the busy area traffic. While holding at the run-up, we saw this classic B-17 arrive.

After a 10 to 15 minute wait, we were cleared for takeoff for the first IFR flight of the trip. Our initial clearance was 3000 feet, which meant we were smack dab in the clouds. They kept us there for the first 20 minutes of flight, until we were clear of Class Bravo traffic. At that point, we were cleared up to 8000 feet. That altitude kept us above clouds for most of the flight, although we ended up asking for higher eventually. The clouds below us were pretty solid, so we gave up on going VFR. After checking our sectionals, we changed our destination to Sturgis, Ky (TWT). Once we were cleared down to 4000 we were at the bases of the clouds and we were able to get a visual approach into Sturgis.

On the ground, we were offered a crew car and directions to Dempsey's Dew Drop Inn, where we grabbed a quick hamburger. Fuel was pretty cheap so we filled to the brim and pointed the nose at Birmingham.

The first hour of flight was relatively easy, but as we got to Tennessee the clouds started piling up. We got a pop-up IFR clearance and before we long we were in and out of clouds. For the last 30 to 40 minutes, we didn't see much clear air and the NEXRAD on the Garmin became our very best friend. Our tiny ship was tossed and turned (well, just a little, it was the roughest segment of flight but probably not more than steady light turbulence). We got another visual approach--so far the approach plates in the baggage compartment have been good for insurance and a little aft CG. Still, we needed to be IFR for a lot of the flight and approach-capable to do that.

I think today's flight was the most challenging of the trip so far. It got the juices flowing but never crossed the line to anxiety-inducing.

Days 7 through 10: On The Ground in Chicago

2007-07-29T07:51:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Chicago on Wednesday afternoon and left on Saturday morning. Two full days is not enough time to experience a city of this size. Based on the recommendation of a friend who lived nearby, we chose Chicago Executive Airport (formerly Palwalkee). It was a smart move because it put us close to them and gave us pretty easy access to the city by train. Wednesday was our anniversary and we were set to celebrate with dinner at Charlie Trotter's restaurant. Our advanced plans included a reservation on Saturday night but we were able to change on short notice for a 7:00 on Wednesday.

Last year on our 25th anniversary, we ate at The French Laundry in Yountville, CA. It was the singular most sensational dining experience we have ever had. Perhaps it set the bar too high, but we hoped for the same kind of meal at Trotter's. As it was, the food was exquisitely prepared and several of the dishes were world-class. My singular favorite was probably the New Zealand cockles. However, it seemed to depend more on edgy ingredients like stinging nettles, cockles and pickled lamb's tongue, where The French Laundry creates perfection with outstanding examples of more familiar foods. We also felt like the service was a little more reserved and the setting more confined than at the French Laundry. This might be a sign that after a dozen years living on the west coast, our sensibilities are changing.

A nice touch was a personal tour of the kitchen, where we got to see the magic behind the meal. I imagine other restaurants would honor a request for such a tour, but it was nice touch that the offer came without our having to ask.

Sated and tired, we headed back to our hotel on Michigan Av.

Thursday we were up at the crack of 10:00 and found our way to the El for a trip out to Oak Park. I am a long-time fan of Frank Lloyd Wright's work. I had seen the exterior of the Robie House on a previous visit to Chicago and toured the Hanna House at Stanford, but the chance to visit his home and studio was a real treat. We began with an hour-long self-guided walking tour of about fifteen houses in the neighborhood. After that, we had a guided tour of the home and the studio. There were rooms like the children's playroom that I have seen in pictures countless times. Standing in the actual room and seeing how the space and the light work was like a dream.

On the way back to the El we stopped at Unity Temple, which may have been his first public building. It was so far ahead of its time that one can't imagine where the vision came from.

Thursday night we saw a live taping of our favorite NPR radio show, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me. The three panelists on hand were our personal A-team: Paula Poundstone, Mo Rocca, and Tom Bodett. The Not My Job guest was Jim Dale, voice of the Harry Potter audio books. I forgot to wear my "Don't say a word, I haven't read it yet," t-shirt, but luckily there were no spoilers. It was fun to see them all interact live and to observe all the stuff that never makes it past the editing process. Paula attended my high school and was a friend of my sister. At the end we snuck up front for a quick exchange of pleasantries.

Saturday morning we enjoyed a tasty breakfast at the Corner Bakery Cafe, at Michigan and Jackson. While we waited for our food, I captured this picture that confirmed we had journeyed up to the terminus of the Mother Road.

After breakfast, we crossed the street to the Art Institute. One painting we hoped to see, Hopper's Nighthawks, was on vacation in Boston and Washington, but there was still a lot to see. The collection of O'Keefes was great. We saw Grant Wood's American Gothic. Also, we really enjoyed an exhibit of Jeff Wall's photography.

From the museum, we returned to our hotel, grabbed our bags and caught a train out to Barrington to meet up with friends from college. We hadn't seen them in over 15 years, which led to the usual assortment of reflections and recollections.

We spent the night with our friends Paula, Dave, and Katia. Paula and John worked together for about a year but this was the first time that most of us met live. My offer to take them all for a lakeshore flight before leaving Chicago was squashed by the Saturday morning overcast. Katia, you have a San Francisco Bay tour waiting on your next visit to California.

Paula drove us to the airport and we prepared to depart for the first IFR leg of our vacation.

Day 7 Follow Up

2007-07-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

 Lebanon, MO (LBO) to Chicago, CA (PWK)
444 statute miles (386 nm)
Elapsed time: 3:57

This was our longest non-stop leg to date. I guess once we had the target in site, we were inspired to press on. Aside from the flight over downtown St. Louis and the Gateway Arch, there wasn't much to see, and the flying was quite routine.

It's fun to look at this map and see how much territory we covered. We could probably have driven this same route in seven days, and someday I might. We could have flown it commercial in about four hours. Others have flown it before me, in more interesting planes and have seen more of the route both in the air and on the ground. This trip wasn't about doing something new or doing it better. I did this for myself, to have the opportunity to set and achieve a personally meaningful goal.

I am approaching 500 hours in my logbook, which means I am moving from new to mid-time pilot. However, most of those hours have been within 100 miles of home and before this trip I had never flown out of California. Proportionally, not much has changed, but in human terms it is all very different. I think this trip was as much a landmark as my first solo, or my first time flying alone in clouds.

Over the last week, I have experienced accomplishment, frustration, beauty, anxiety, tedium and tranquility. I've taken off from high, hot desert runways and small strips surrounded by cornfields. I have definitely extended my competence and my confidence as a pilot. I know now that a trip like this is within my ability and I will be comfortable to take others in the future.

This entry concludes the Route 66 adventure phase of my summer trip, but I have more to see and more places to fly. I will be heading to Birmingham, Carbondale and Salt Lake City to visit with friends and family before finally returning home. I will continue to post updates along the way. Thank you for letting my share my experience.

Day 7: We Made It!

2007-07-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

Lebanon, Mo (LBO) to Chicago, Il (PWK)

I am temporarily away from my GPS, so I can't post the distance or map, but here I am in Chicago. We woke in Lebanon and headed to the airport. We fueled the plane with avgas and ourselves with home-baked banana bread at the airport office. We were ready to leave on a leg that would take us to Springfield, Il when a series of small events sent us through a replanning exercise. After considering a range of options, we concluded we were ready to finish this expedition. We fired up the engine and pointed to Chicago.

We didn't see a lot along the way, but one treat was our transition through downtown St. Louis at 1600 feet.

The Gateway Arch is an amazing site from close up. After St. Louis we flew up through Springfield, Il and on into Chicago. Entering the Chicago terminal area was busy but manageable. We landed at Chicago Executive and surprised our friends here by calling a day early for a ride from the airport to the train. A short time later, we were checking in to the Hilton and looking back on the whirlwind events of the preceding week.

We have been in nine states, flown about 1700 nm, and logged over 20 hours of flying time. We are looking forward to seeing Chicago and visiting friends over the coming days. After that, our trip continues with a flight to Birmingham, Al to pick up our daughter Sarah and visit with friends where she has been staying.

Day 6: OK to MO

2007-07-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Weatherford, OK (OJA) to Lebanon, MO (LBO)
424 statute miles (368 nm)
Time enroute 3:54

This morning we took a few minutes to drive through downtown Weatherford and see sites from the Route 66 guidebook. There was the Greek Temple building which later became the German Bank and is now a clothing store or thrift shop of some kind. Then there was the blacksmith shop. After that, we drove to the airport and prepared to depart. Once we were ready, we decided to take a quick peek at that General Tom Stafford Air and Space Museum. since we only had a minute, we convinced the attendant to let us pay $4 for both of us, where that is normally the fee for one fly-in guest. Land-arrivals normally pay $5 each. Inside we were amazed at the size of the facility and the range of exhibits. You need a human reference to appreciate the immense size of one of the five rocket engines from a Saturn V booster. We were equally surprised by how small the Apollo capsule turned out to be. Can you imagine three grown men leaving in that thing for over a week? We were so impressed that we ended up adding $6 to our original $4 and paying the equivalent of full walk-in price. If you ever have the chance to go or to recommend this place to others, please take it. All in all, Weatherford was a great little stopover. The fuel was only about $3.60/gallon, the people were great and the museum was a bonus. Once in the air, we headed east for Oklahoma City. With a few minutes of calm in the cockpit, I took this pilot's eye view shot of what I have been looking at for the last 18 hours. The weather was all VFR today, but I did have to do a little cloud avoidance around Oklahoma City. The GPS track tells the story. Looking east, there was a layer of clouds building, but the weather on the 396 made it sound like it was just in spots. I decided to go up and over the top. As I proceeded, I had to go to 7500 and later 9500 feet. I was making sure to keep my options open, including going IFR or turning back fron spreading clouds. When I realized that I was soon going to be on top of a layer, I took advantage of a big but funny-shaped hole and squiqqled down to get below it. Leaving Oklahaoma City behind, our next destination was Kansas. Route 66 just nips a a fifteen mile bit out of the southeastern corner of Dorothyland. The only airport near that stretch is private. I made a half-hearted attept to reach the owners and get permission to land. When that didn't work, I opted to make Oswego, KS (K67) our next waypoint. Kansas was my second all-new state of the trip. After landing, I took in the cornfields surrounding the airport. It was pretty quiet at the airport. Airport listings say there are about 50 operations a month, which comes out to just under a flight a day. In addtition to observing and then fisitin18395330" /> I don't know if this old Ercoupe accounts for any of those operations. To my eye, it wasn't in flying condition, but I noticed that there was air in the tires so it isn't totally abandoned. From Oswego, we headed due east to intercept 66 again in Joplin, Mo. Along the way, we passed this drive-in in Carthage, Mo. This distinctive building seems like a county courthouse or municipal building. We ended our day in Lebanon, Mo, between Springfield and St. Louis. The airport runways and facilities were excellent. We picked Lebanon because of a recommendation to stay at the Munger Moss Motel, an old Route 66 stand-by. It was novel, but unfortunately it seemed like munger moss was something growing under the rug in our room. The room was clean and well-maintained, but the pervasive mustiness was a bit of a let-down. We dined at Dowd's Catfish House, where I fell in love with the pickled tomato relish. The evening ended with the discovery of a wi-fi enabled Starbacks that appeared just as we had given up the search and pulled into a parking lot to return to the hotel.

Day 5: Into the Great Plains 2007-07-25T06:10:00.000-07:00 I will update this post with some photos soon. Whether it was the after-effects of our spa experience or just exhaustion catching up on us, we slept until about 9:00 this morning. After rousing ourselves, having some leftovers for breakfast and checking out, we began our car ride back to Albuquerque around 10. With a couple of stops along the way, including one to refuel our rental car and ourselves, we rolled into Seven Bar Aviation after noon. The staff there were as helpful as ever and after Lisa had finished sitting on her lunch and getting changed, we took off at around 1:00. Now an old pro at taking off with only 13000 feet of runway, I was in the air with about two miles to spare. Climb-out was the usual slow haul and I had to ask departure for a 360 to gain some extra altitude before following I-40 out of town to the east. Our first stop of the day was Santa Rosa, NM (I58). According to the guide books, there is a lot to see, but we had a very narrow mission. Runway 6-24 is actually a section of the old Route 66. We landed, taxied back, and were quickly back in the air. Our next waypoint, Tucumcari (TCC), got even less respect. I wanted to say I had landed there, so we planned another quick stop. I hoped for a touch and go, but didn't want to run out of runway on takeoff. However, the landing was nice and short, and with most of a 7000 foot runway ahead, we gunned it and were back in the air. It would have been nice to spend more time at some of these locations, but we had a fairly ambitious plan for the day. Combined with a late start and worries about afternoon thunderstorms, it seemed best to forge on. We finally did stop at Amarillo (AMA) for a bathroom break and to take on fuel. This stop was more or less mandated by the need to get a landing in Texas for the logbook. The folks at TAC Air were very accommodating, even when I changed my mind about buying fuel after originally declining. The woman working the desk had her copy of Harry Potter and so did a woman waiting for her husband to show up. Both of our kids have finished it already. They are under strict orders to not say a word, under threat of disinheritance. I think I will be the last person to get my hands on it. On the ground in Amarillo, we realized that we had missed one of our objectives, the Cadillac Ranch. It is west of town and after considering the time and weather, we had to pass on it. We reluctantly pointed the plane east for Oklahoma. By now, the afternoon storms were cropping up on Nexrad. We managed to circle north around one long line that started growing right in our path and stayed well clear. It looked like if we had been much later, we would have been stopped short. We saw some lightning at a distance, but nothing anywhere near us. After circling the clouds, we flew direct to Stafford Airport (OJA) in Weatherford, OK. Between the loss of an hour crossing time-zones and the weather diversion, we were on the ground at 7:00 pm, an hour after the airport services closed for the night. This was no problem. There were keys to a courtesy car in a lock-box and a quick call to Greg who answers the after-hours calls provided assurance we were free to take it. This was my first experience with a courtesy car and it was a great convenience. Stafford has a very well maintained facility with a nice tie-down area. It is unique because there were no ropes on the tie-downs. I taxied in circles trying to decipher what to do until I noticed that all the ropes are kept up by the airport office on a fence. This is nice because it avoids any danger of taxiing through a tie-down and sucking a rope up into the prop. We drove to the Best Western and checked into our room. We dined at The Mark, a restaurant right next door. We might have been happier if we had taken the desk-clerk's other recommendation, a place called Lucille's that was a short drive away. We discovered afterward that it had a nice write-up in one of our Route 66 guide books. Oops, don't forget to read the manual before! The day ended with a bit of a sad note. Part of our eagerness to make progress today was to get close enough to Dallas that we could hopefully make a day-trip down to visit an old college friend who is ill. Unfortunately, when we called from the hotel, he reported that he was doing badly and wasn't up to a visit. We are sorry to miss him and will keep him in our hearts as we continue our own journey. Day 4: Meditation and Marination 2007-07-25T06:02:00.000-07:00 Day Four was a non-flying day. After our late arrival at 10000 Waves on Saturday evening, we slept in until it was time to go up to the spa for our scheduled array of treatments. The spa is in a beautiful Japanese style building. We started our treatment with a soak in a hot tub. After that, we met Claire and Wolfgang, our massage therapists, who escorted us to a room with two massage tables. Over the next two hours, we experienced three separate treatments, which dissipated all of the tension of the trip and probably anything left over from the last 20 or 30 years. First we were wrapped in hot, moist, herb-infused towels and then sealed up in foil cocoons. Our bodies marinated like this while our heads were kept cool with cold towels and we received massage of the head, neck and shoulders. At the conclusion, we showered briefly in brisk, cold water. The next hour was a conventional massage By the middle, my mind was far away and I was drifting in and out of a sleep-like doze. The conclusion was a "Salt Glow" treatment. First we were rubbed with hot oil. Then we were sprinkled with salt and received a brisk rub. Now I know what a lamb chop feels like before going on the grill. We finished with a warm water rinse to remove the salt but leave the oil. Slippery and dreamy, we staggered back to our room and collapsed. This was an expensive experience but well worth it. 10000 Waves is featured in the book 1000 Places to Visit Before You Die, and I can see why. However, a small caution. After a few hours of vegetative relaxation, we summoned up our energy and headed into Santa Fe. Lisa had never been, and my previous visit was a drive-by lunch on business in 1981. It is a very pretty city but a little quiet. On a tip, we visited the Loretto Chapel, which features a so-called Miraculous Staircase. It was beautiful, but anyone who has visited our house will understand why we weren't sold on its miraculous properties. We stumbled on to one of the more appealing restaurants only to learn it was already booked for the night. After driving to two other neighborhoods and finding ourselves uninspired, we had a mediocre mexican meal at a rooftop cantina and returned home. One last little treat for me--awake in the middle of the night, I wandered out on to our back porch and experienced a fabulous starlit night, capped by a flaming meteorite. Day 5 will be back in the air. Day 3: The Story Can Be Told 2007-07-23T21:40:00.000-07:00 Gallup (GUP) to Albuquerque (ABQ): 143 statute miles (124 nm) time enroute: 1:21 Today was the most eventful of the trip to date. The plan was for a short flight over to Albuquerque International, where I would meet Lisa's Southwest flight from Las Vegas at 3:05. Afterward, we would make the 40 nm hop up to Santa Fe, rent a car and drive to 10000 Waves Spa and Resort, for a day of relaxation and massage. I arrived at the airport around 9:00 and the folks at Gallup Flying Service brought my plane out from the service hangar, where it had spent the night enjoying its new wiring. During my preflight, I was treated to the arrival of an open cockpit Great Lakes biplane. The pilot was on his way from Long Beach, CA to Oshkosh for AirVenture. I departed at 10:02. At 5300 feet and about 80 degrees F, the density altitude was almost 8000 feet. I was ready for a long takeoff roll and I got one. Once I was in the air, I experienced a sedate 500 feet per minute climb. The biplane pilot getting ready to depart behind me seemed to notice, because he asked how the climbout went. After takeoff, I continued my climb up to 9500 feet. I'm happy to say that the charging system seems to be 100% okay now. The short flight to Albuquerque was quiet and scenic. I snapped a few pictures of Grants, NM, including what I think was the uranium mine I visited back in 1981. Albuquerque itself sits right on the green swatch of the Rio Grande. Desert and Sky Uranium Mine Arrival at Albuquerque was a little exciting. It's a Class C airspace, but it wasn't too busy at the time. I was cleared for Runway 3 and then on two to three mile final they asked me to maintain best possible speed for a Pilatus arriving from the north. I know it is my choice but I did what I could and found myself crossing the threshold at around 95 kts instead of my usual 65-70. Luckily the approach was stable and the runway very, very long, so I just bled off speed until the plane decided it was ready to land. Even at that I made the first turn-off which pointed me right at Seven Bar Aviation. After tieing down the plane without buying any fuel, the staff gave me a lift over to the airline terminal to wait for Southwest 2670. I had gotten in early enough to beat the afternoon buildup of thundershowers, but after a mediocre lunch in the terminal, I saw watching the sky grow messier by the minute as I waited for Lisa's arrival. In the end, her flight was racing a thunderstorm to the airport. She got in just before the deluge. It wasn't as great as it sounds because as soon as she landed, they issued a lightning hold on ground operations. That meant that the luggage sat and waited for the storm to go by. By the time we got the luggage and got picked up the Seven Bar driver, it was after 5:00. A check of Nexrad in the FBO briefing room showed a lot of activity at Santa Fe and north, and the FAA briefer seemed to be choking back disbelief when I asked for a weather update from ABQ to SAF. As we pondered our situation, a Cessna R182 showed up. The pilot had come from Las Vegas, NM via the Santa Fe area and said we would be just fine. Since the weather around Albuquerque was gloomy but manageable we decided to give it a try. This was going to my first time sharing the sky with thunderstorms and I intended to be very, very careful. Albuquerque (ABQ) to Albuquerque (ABQ): 143 statute miles (47 nm) time enroute: 1:21 The map more or less tells the story. After a long taxi to Runway 8, we were cleared for takeoff. There was a solid crosswind, supposedly blowing at 10 kts, but I'm pretty sure the anenometer was in a hangar somewhere. From the time we loaded the plane through the entire flight, there was a brisk wind. Albuquerque airport is at 5355 feet elevation. With the outside temperature around 80, the density altitude was over 9000 feet. This was even higher than in Gallup. However, Runway 8 is over 13,000 feet long, compared to the 2000 I am used to at home. My mighty Continental engine had us in the air within not much more than 1000 feet. Since this was Lisa's first high-altitude flight, I warned her that we would climb slowly and probably have to bank to the right for a bit to stay over the runway. Those warnings were well advised because that's exactly what happened. We got off the ground and climbed leisurely for the minute or so it took us to actually pass the end of the runway. After that, we made a gradual turn to the north and headed for Santa Fe. As we flew, we paid equal attention to the weather ahead and that behind, making sure we didn't get trapped with nowhere to go. We made it about 25 nm to the north and were just rounding the end of the Sandia crest, when we concluded that weather ahead was getting worse not better. With a steady diet of bumps and bounces, it was time to give the round to Mother Nature. We made our U-turn and headed back to the field. They gave us 17 for landing, which was more or less directly into the wind, and we had an easy landing and return to Seven Bar. Around this time, we must have seemed like the weird relatives you can't get rid of. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, they were very helpful with a lift to the Hertz counter where we changed our car pickup from Santa Fe and headed off. Albuquerque, NM to Santa Fe, NM (by Toyota Corolla): 54 statute miles time enroute: 1:21 The drive by car was only about an hour, but we stopped for a surprisingly tasty and unique dinner at The Range Cafe in Bernalillo. We got to 10000 Waves spa at 10:30, found the key in the lockbox and retired gratefully to our room, Full Moon. Despite the diversion back to Albuquerque, the late night arrival, and the fact that we ended up leaving the plane behind for two days, it was exciting and new. I'm still enjoying the unique discoveries of flying the southwest, which is so different from the Bay Area. I had a chance to push my personal limits safely and then back of before I regretted what I was doing. And we did get the chance to drive along the route of the historic 66, even if it was done on an Interstate. On any trip, it's the unplanned challenges and surprised that become the lasting memories. After flying out of my home state for the first time ever, I now had two new states and a lot of miles under my belt. And much more to come. In my next post, the spa experience and our visit to Santa Fe. Day 3 Coming Soon 2007-07-23T11:07:00.000-07:00 Various circumstances have kept me from posting the last two days, but I should have time later tonight. Today's flight is from Albuquerque, NM to Weatherford, OK via Santa Rosa and Tucumcari, NM and Amarillo, TX. It should be about three hours of flying time enroute. Day 2: Addendum 2007-07-21T07:44:00.000-07:00 406 statute miles (350 nm) time enroute: 3:17 average speed: 107 kts It finally occurred to me to look for image files on my hard drive. It looks like all the high-res images from yesterday are still there. I just need to convince Aperture. Day 2: Bullhead, AZ to Gallup, NM 2007-07-20T20:19:00.000-07:00 ~approx 300 nm time enroute: ~2.5 hours I am sitting in the lobby of the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, NM. Day two has been a total immersion in the cross-country experience. Yesterday, have the terrain I covered, both of my departures and one of my arrivals were in familiar territory. Today it was all brand new. It was a great experience, which in the blended some beautiful scenery and flying with a little anxiety and aggravation. It's amazing that a single two and half hour flight and all the accompanying activity fills a day. The day got off to an inauspicious start. I slept poorly, so I ended up dragging my feet getting out of the hotel. As a result, it was a toasty 101 when I get to the airport around 10:00. I'm not at all sure it would have been much cooler at 8:00. I had the same cabbie going back to the field as when I came in last night. He claimed there were nine cabs in service in the greater Bullhead metro area, so I guess it was just luck. As a result, I had a chance to thank him for his dinner recommendation and share my trip plans with him. After a helpful and courteous send-off from the folks at Encore, I loaded up the plane, remembering to get the charts I would need from the back this time. Hotel El Rancho After starting up the plane, I enountered the first misfortune of the day. The low-voltage light was on, indicating that the system wasn't charging. The ammeter had shown a charge at first, but quickly stopped. I have a new alternator so I started wondering what might be the problem. I decided to taxi out to the run-up and see if things got better. They didn't. The system seemed to be sort of charging a little, so I considered just taking off. There was certainly no danger to flying in clear daylight when there were airports every 30 minutes along the route. In the end, I considered how inconvenient it would be if I found myself stuck at a field that had no shop to work on the plane, so I taxied back to Encore. Guess what? I was already at a field that had no shop. Luckily I didn't bother shutting down. I talked to the woman at encore over the Unicom and she confirmed that there was a shop at my next stop, Kingman. I decided to depart and evaluate my options enroute to Kingman. Departure was relatively uneventful. The airport serves jet traffic, so I only used a fraction of it, even in the heat. Once of the ground my cylinder head temps climbed up over 400 and stuck there, so I opted for a long, slow climb. My original plan was to gain altitude going south and then turn east through a pass toward Kingman. I was climbing so slowly that I found myself most of the way to Needles, CA before I felt comfortable leaving the flat open dessert and heading over the ridge. A watched pot may never boil, but a watched low-voltage warning light will go out. Well before Kingman the light was out and I decided to forge on. There were thunderstorms forecast to the east later and I didn't relish the idea of stopping and losing the morning flying time if I didn't have to. Typical Route 66 Indian Craft Shop As it happens, the light came on periodically throughout the rest of the day. This, along with the possibility of weather, made me decide to fly non-stop to Gallup. I wanted to get in early enough to have a chance at having the plane worked on. The terrain rises slowly and steadily from 700 feet at Bullhead to over 7000 at Flagstaff. If you don't know to read the charts and plan for it, you can easily find yourself dangerously low. I built several 2000 foot step-up climbs into my plan so I was fine. All the same, it feels weird to be at 9500 feet and only 2000 above the ground. I've flown high over mountains in CA, but it is different over flatter terrain. All of this was complicated by the weather. I never had to deal with thunderstorms and the clouds were always at least 2000 feet above me, but there was a haze looking east into the sun which for a while limited visibility. You can't tell how far away anything is out here, but I think it was 20 miles or so. That wasn't a risk to flight, but I could never tell if it was getting worse or see what might be hiding in it. I stayed supercautious, making sure I had a turn-back option, and eventually all cleared up. The next setback was photographic. I took a ton of pictures from the air. I don't think I captured anything that the previous million people who have photographed this country missed, but it is my personal journey after all. I downloaded the pictures this afternoon and when I went back to look at them in Aperture, it seems like I have only the thumbnails, not the actual images. I didn't knowingly do anything different, and pictures I shot before and after are both fine. So for now, I wait and hope I can get them back. Two Shots of The Mother Road The next and last minor frustration is that the tracks I downloaded from the Garmin have also gone missing. It's a strange coincidence, but I can't really so how that would have happened. I know I can download them again, but the hotel only has internet in the lobby so it will have to wait. That's also the reason I am guessing at the time and distance covered today. I arrived in Gallup around 2:00 after crossing into Mountain Daylight Time. I've tripled the number of states I have flown in and to in the last two days. The arrival was uneventful, as it should be. I'm glad I flew straight here. The Gallup Flying Service did have a mechanic available and they looked at the plane this afternoon. The good news is that they found two intermittent wiring issues and now the plane seems fine. They get mucho cred from me for checking after repairing the first. Otherwise, I would still be having problems. I spent the afternoon decompressing and taking a short walk along the actual Route 66. Today is the first time on the trip that I actually am on the road and not just over it. The road runs alongside the Santa Fe railroad. Hopefully tomorrow I will have some more to add. Tomorrow I fly to Albuquerque where I meet Lisa at 3:00 and then we hop up to Santa Fe, weather permitting. Over and out. Eastbound Freight Day 1: Santa Monica, CA to Bullhead, AZ (523 nm) 2007-07-19T20:28:00.000-07:00 Palo Alto to Santa Monica: 333 statute miles (289 nm) time enroute: 2:39 I'm on my way. I left Palo Alto this morning around 10:00. I managed to fit everything in the plane with room to spare (except Sarah, she was just there to see me off). After getting everything set, I discovered where the plastic nut I found on my floor yesterday came from. It was part of the bracket that mounts my portable GPS to the window screen. Lisa was still on her way home from the airport when I found it, she graciously made another trip to bring it by. The only other thing missing so far is my little homemade "Scott Stauter altitude reminder". I can live without it. The flight from PAO to SMO was routine. I've done it about five or so times by now, I'm starting to recognize the landmarks. The one thing that was interesting today was the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) for brushfires north of Santa Barbara. Confession to those who know better: I didn't get a briefing before leaving. Luckily, I thought to check for TFRs using the satellite weather on the Garmin. I just had a small deviation around the edge. In Santa Monica, I landed and parked, so that I could declare this the official start of the trip. I even filled out the landing registration, which will earn me a six dollar bill from the airport months from now. Santa Monica, CA to Bullhead, AZ 270 statute miles (234 nm) time enroute: 2:08 In a perfect world, I would be able to avoid flying between noon and evening, but not today. I left Santa Monica at a little after 2:00. I flew out along the I-10 to San Bernardino and then made a hard left up along the I-15 through the Cajon Pass toward Victorville and Barstow. Low and slow wasn't a good option. I needed to get up high to stay out of the rocks, so I flew this leg at 7500 feet and later up at 9500. After Barstow, I deviated a little from the historic route. My final destination was Bullhead, AZ (although I didn't realize it was Arizona until I landed there), which is a bit north of the route. It didn't make too much sense to fly to Needles and then back again, so I shaved an edge off the route. In the morning, I will head southeast to reconnect with the route somewhere before Kingman. It's fun to look at the route and see how it really does come prety close to the highway. I want to load it in GoogleEarth, but for some reason it won't let me at the moment. The purple line is the route I entered in the Garmin ahead of time. The blue lines are Garmin's version of highways. I-40 is the lower line going east and runs along the route. The green line is my actual track. Bullhead is a small city that seems nowadays to exist as the Arizona base for a fast-growing gambling city across the Colorado River in Laughlin, NV. I ate dinner at Earl's at the Castle, an outpost of local home cooking. Now I'm back at the room and feeling just tired enough to get a good night's sleep and an early start tomorrow. Morning of Departure 2007-07-19T06:44:00.000-07:00 Today is the day. I just checked the weather for Santa Monica: Aviation Digital Data Service (ADDS) Output produced by TAFs form (1343 UTC 19 July 2007) found at http://adds.aviationweather.gov/tafs/index.php KSMO 191251Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 17/15 A2984 RMK AO2 SLP102 T01720150 KLAX 191250Z 00000KT 10SM FEW020 18/15 A2984 RMK AO2 SLP101 T01780150 KLAX 191120Z 191212 VRB04KT P6SM FEW011 FM1600 25008KT P6SM SKC FM1900 25012KT P6SM SKC FM0500 24007KT P6SM SCT006 For the non-aviators, the wind is calm, visibility is 10 miles and the sky is clear. The forecast for nearby LAX shows that clear skies are expected all day. I am hoping to be in the air around 10:00 and on the ground in SMO by around noon. After a short break to stretch my legs, I will be back in the air headed east. Unfortunately this means entering the southwest furnace in the heat of the day, which is not great for flying or comfort. The good news is that my goal is modest. I want to get out to the AZ border. I am actually planning to divert from the route for an overnight in Laughlin, NV (KIFP). There aren't many places to stay at airports along the route between Barstow and Kingman, AZ.